St. James family’s home severely damaged by fire

A family of five is displaced after a weekend fire caused severe damage to their St. James home.

The fire broke out around 10 p.m. Friday night when the flue caught fire, causing fire damage to the roof and the attic, said St. James Fire Protection District Asst. Chief Carl Redburn.

"It wasn't a total loss, but it did a lot of damage," Redburn said. "It was a flue fire that had gotten really hot. It burned through the chimney and caught the attic on fire and the roof."

Redburn said the homeowners were at home when the fire started. One of the homeowners was using a garden hose to extinguish the fire, and "he had knocked some of it down, but it was still going really good when we got there," Redburn said.

Personnel from Rolla Rural Fire Protection were present at the St. James fire station to cover any other calls while SJFPD personnel were at the scene.

According to an American Red Cross press release, the local chapter of provided financial resources to meet the family of five's "immediate emergency needs with the purchase of food and clothing," along with comfort kits and referrals to local partner agencies.

The family is currently staying with friends.

Redburn said residents should keep their flues clean during the winter months to avoid these types of fires.

"The buildup gets hot and catches on fire, so periodically cleaning them is the best prevention," he said.